The two companies said neither they nor their parent companies have been informed on the matter of merger from government departments; meanwhile, neither company has talked with other companies or departments about any merger, according to separate statements by the two companies filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

There were rumors last month that China was considering massive mergers and acquisitions of its biggest state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to prevent in-fighting and build industrial giants able to face global competitors. A total of 112 centrally-administered SOEs were said to likely be cut by more than half to 40.

However, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission later said reports about such massive M&As were "unverified."